Honda RC166 model motorcycle

If your Dad is an industrial designer and machinist, you can expect to receive some unusual toys. This Honda RC166 model motorcycle belongs to Anna Kraeuter, aged three, the daughter of Portland vintage motorcycle racer Chuck. It’s a perfect ½ scale model that measures just over 3 feet long by 1½ feet high. (Here’s a full-size Honda RC166 for reference.) Working two or three hours a day, Chuck built this model from scratch in 166 consecutive days. “Anna loves the attention she gets when she sits on it,” Chuck tells us. “It doesn’t run, but it has a first gear—so the clutch spins like it would if bump starting.”

There are over 625 separate parts in this model, not counting screws, bolts and nuts. (“Every part is easy to make; you just have to make some everyday.”) Chuck did all the machining himself using aluminum, stainless steel, brass and acetal, an engineering plastic widely used for machined parts. “There was a surprising amount of manual lathe time,” says Chuck. “The spokes are bicycle spokes cut shorter and rethreaded, and the wheel axles are made from metric bolts. Chassis bolts are safety wired with ½ scale copper wire, and my wife Dawn sewed the seat cover.” Chuck painted the model with spray cans, and toned it with colored chalk. He’s currently building ten more, which will be for sale. If you’re interested in ordering one of these remarkable model motorcycles for yourself, contact Chuck Kraeuter through his website.